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Sniper Class
The Sniper Class is a soldier class in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The primary role of the Sniper Class is providing long range standoff, force multiplier and supporting Overwatch against enemy units. XCOM Database Tactical Description The primary role of the Sniper Class is to either quickly kill priority targets, or dispose of retreating or flanking weakened targets. Every alien they "kill confirmed" directly translates into one less potentially -''dead-'' XCOM-Soldier. The unique characteristic of the class is the focus on long range combat: unlike other weapons, sniper rifles have greater accuracy at long distance, and suffer reduced accuracy at close and mid range. Available abilities allow snipers to develop into two general types — Recon and Overwatch. Recon is generally better for missions where lots of movement and close-quarters combat is expected (such as UFO and Target Extraction). Overwatch is better for open missions (such as Alien Abductions and the Alien Base.) Weapons The Sniper class can be equipped with sniper rifles and pistols. They tend to rely on their pistols as backup weapons more often than any other class, so they should be the first to receive upgraded pistols. Sniper Rifles Source: Tactical Info, XCOM: Enemy Within Foundry Upgrades *Ammo Conservation: Increase ammo capacity by 100%. Pistols Source: Tactical Info, XCOM: Enemy Within Abilities When a soldier is promoted, certain ranks allow the player to choose one of two abilities for the soldier. Skill Comparisons Some players who have completed Ironman on Classic and Impossible difficulties recommend choosing Squadsight, Opportunist and Double Tap. Snap Shot vs. Squadsight *'Snap Shot' removes the sniper rifle's restriction on firing and Overwatch after moving. Any shots taken suffer a -20 Aim penalty. ** Snap Shot is considerably more flexible in usage compared to Squadsight. Being able to move with the squad and not require a "nests", allows full use of certain Sniper abilities which are otherwise of limited use to their Squadsight counterparts. *'Squadsight' allows sniping at targets in an ally's sight radius. ** Squadsight requires unobstructed line-of-sight (LoS): this means frequently hunting for "Snipers' Nests" with unobstructed view of most of the battlefield in order to make the most of this ability. Gunslinger vs. Damn Good Ground *'Gunslinger' confers 2 bonus damage with pistols. *'Damn Good Ground' confers +10 Aim and +10 Defense against enemies at lower elevation, when on elevated ground or flying with Archangel Armor, in addition to the usual elevation bonuses. Disabling Shot vs. Battle Scanner *'Disabling Shot' scanning device that, when thrown, creates a new source of vision *'Battle Scanner' allows a shot that causes the target's main weapon to malfunction, forcing it to waste a turn "fixing it". *Battle Scanner reveals all cloaked enemies within its scan range, making scanners useful for uncovering Seekers who have gone into Stealth mode. *Battle Scanner's scouting utility is reduced by the presence of the Mimetic Skin Gene Mod, which allows for safe, effective and unlimited scouting; however, the stealth-revealing ability is valuable in the early game prior to researching Bioelectric Skin. Executioner vs. Opportunist *'Executioner' helps to finish off wounded enemies *'Opportunist' allows for the setup Reaction Fire ambushes. Double Tap vs. In The Zone The true "force multiplier" potential of the Sniper Class unlocks at the Colonel rank. Both abilities presented at this stage allow multiple shots per turn, but in different ways: high-variance reactive sniping, and low-variance proactive sniping. Your Squad Tactics and abilities need to be taken into consideration. *'Double Tap' allows the use of the first action for shooting instead of moving. If the soldier has an excellent enough position, they can potentially shoot twice per turn, either at the same target or two separate targets. ** Double Tap synergies with Squadsight and Disabling Shot, and excels at dealing double damage quickly to high valued targets or allow for the neutralizing of two weaker targets in the same turn. (Compared to In The Zone, it doesn't require any "specific Squad Tactics" to setup or to pull off.) ** Double Tap is limited by the cooldown, which only allows the ability to be used every other turn. (It is activated automatically when taking the first shot; cooldown can be tracked by opening the Sniper's status window: when Double Tap is available, it will be shown in beneficial status effects.) *** Double Tap is not Bullet Swarm for snipers - the second action MUST be a shot, Disabling Shot, or Headshot; this may result in the player having to use the "End Turn" button if a target isn't available for the sniper. *** Double Tap does not synergies with Snap Shot - the ability's benefit is negated if the soldier is moving in that turn. *'In The Zone' allows for sustained fire - for as long as the soldier continues to kill visible targets that are flanked or exposed - before needing to reload. ** In The Zone is effectively an "AoE attack" with the potential to pick off the two Drone escorts of a Sectopod, or the Sectoid escorts of a Mechtoid or Sectoid Commander, or the damaged survivors of a pack of Mutons, or every member of a pack of Floaters. **In The Zone is highly dependent on Squad Tactics - requiring the destruction of alien cover by allied action - and thus synergies with: *** Grenades *** Assault's Flush ability *** Heavy's Suppression, Danger Zone, and Mayhem abilities **In The Zone synergies with Snap Shot and Opportunist while in Overwatch against flanked foes. Certain enemy types (i.e. Chryssalids, Zombie, Berserkers and especially Drones) frequently ignore cover, making them extremely easy targets for the Sniper. Builds and Tactics Sniper Class builds suitable for all difficulties and DLCs: Covert Ops Soldier Early-game "Gunslinger" build (1-2 months): ;Skills :Squadsight, Gunslinger, Battle Scanner, Opportunist, Double Tap ;Equipment :S.C.O.P.E., Reaper Rounds, Laser Pistol, Archangel Armor ;Upgrades :Tactical Rigging, Ammo Conservation, Improved Pistol (I / II / III), Mimetic Skin, Hyper Reactive Pupils ;Tactics All-round great "general purpose" sniper build for all difficulties -- perfect for Covert Operations -- yet still remains the cheapest, most effective, and most reliable damage dealer. Remains fairly flexible and effective in late game with all three Improved Pistol upgrades researched. Very high Aim combined with a Plasma Pistol allows a minimum 5 damage every shot (which is comparable in both firepower and accuracy to Light Plasma Rifle) but with half the manufacturing cost and zero reloading; and thats before Hyper Reactive Pupils, Gunslinger and Double Tap are factored in. Low Profile and Mimetic Skin. Hunter Hunter Build: Snapshot, Damn Good Ground, Battle Scanner, Executioner, In The Zone A bit more viable in XCOM: Enemy Within due to lesser Aim penalty in Snapshot and nerf in Squadsight regarding critical hits. The idea is to create a very mobile sniper that can actively seek out and terminate low health targets and move to safety in one turn. Best to have this build after getting a Squadsight Sniper. The -10 Aim will be neutralized with S.C.O.P.E., and Executioner simply gives a better chance at killing targets and trigger In The Zone. This build benefits a lot from Grappling Hook in Skeleton or Ghost Armor, which also boosts movement speed. Excels in Council Missions where enemies (usually Thin Men) will drop in, often outside of cover, and the hunter can pick off targets at its area, move to another spot, and continues the streak, and move again to cover. Also great in Terror Site missions where it is possible to get flanked from the side and the Squadsight Sniper has no vision on one side without moving. Generally good at indoor missions or when inside buildings where your Sniper may need to move around a lot. Mobile snipers use their "Snapshot" ability for hit-and-run tactics, where they outflank enemies engaged by the rest of the squad and gun them down. "Gunslinger" is a questionable choice for this setup because mobile snipers have an option to retreat from too-near target and engage them in one turn. "Damn Good Ground" is more preferable, because mobile snipers suffer an accuracy penalty from "Snapshot" after moving. "Battle Scanner" is also helpful to plan moves in advance, as mobile snipers can engage only targets in their own view zone and the scanner can be used to scout the area without alerting the enemy. However, the scanner's field of view is separate from that of the sniper, and the soldier still needs to approach the targets, and thus alert them, to make an actual shot. The key point of this tactic is to master outflanking without putting your sniper at risk. Advantages: Mobile, can shoot with the rifle in almost any circumstances. Disadvantages: More dangerous for the soldier, less accurate. Guardian Angel All-out Guardian Angel Build: Squadsight, Damn Good Ground, Disabling Shot, Opportunist, In The Zone Late game dominance sniper, designed to terrorize lesser beings. This Sniper will have all round vision and will terminate all weaklings that tend to come with tougher targets, such as the Drones with a Cyberdisc or a Sectopod, Sectoids alongside a Mechtoid, Mutons beside the Berserker, and so on, before letting loose a disabling shot at the stronger target. This build is designed purely for Archangel Armor and works best with Plasma Sniper Rifle. Extremely powerful in open area. Stationary snipers use "Squadsight" to bring heavy punishment from afar. Using this tactic, stationary snipers select a "nest" with good view and remain in it, shooting at targets spotted by squadmates. "Gunslinger" is helpful for this spec, as stationary snipers can't move and shoot with the rifle and are forced to use the pistol when out of the nest. The combination of "Squad Sight" and "Battle Scanner" can allow "free shots" on exposed enemies, as the scanner can be thrown at extreme distance, covers a wide area and doesn't alert the enemy. Additionally, if a sniper with both Squad Sight and Battle Scanner is also given "In The Zone", one of the two final tier perks, the combination becomes quite powerful. Used wisely, each of the two available uses of Battle Scanner, combined with a forward scout (moved forward after the use of Battle Scanner, and ideally with Ghost Armor equipped and activated) will allow a sniper with that specific selection of perks to potentially eliminate an entire squad of enemies. This is also a very efficient way to deal with Sectopods. Sending a scout forward for the first half of their turn, hitting them with your sniper, the pulling your scout back so the cannot hit him/her. This can also allow you to bait enemies into advancing unto the rest of your squad who can use Overwatch to defeat them. However, be aware that the first shot will alert the enemy group, causing them to scatter and potentially moving out of the Battle Scanner's Line of Sight (LOS). Therefore, choose the location to drop the Battle Scanner wisely, keeping in mind the LOS considerations, and attempt to deny a suspected enemy squad at that location any opportunity to do so. The key point in this tactic is finding the best spot to sit, which is often the highest point on the current map with the fewest LOS obstructions, and changing locations at the correct times. Advantages: Stays out of harm, accurate. Disadvantages: Bad mobility, bad performance on the move or vs close targets. Floaters and Seekers can exploit a lone sniper far from friends (Can be mostly countered by leaving someone back with your sniper, like your medic, but this removes their firepower from the fight). Death from Above Build: Squadsight, Damn good ground, Opportunist, Double tap, Disabling shot This build is created with the help of Enemy Withins gene modding. First of all the gene mods you want are secondary heart, muscle fiber density, mimetic skin, depth perception, and neural damping. This build is recommended to have archangel armor when possible. So, this build focuses on using the combined high ground advantage from DGG and Depth Perception to get the maximum hit and critical chance possible. I personally use this build and frequently take shots with 100% critical and hit chance. This build is good at any stage in the game, but especially in late game. Generally at the mission start, you want to immediately move your non snipers forward and simply fly( or move onto a building) with your sniper. This is also incredibly effective against sectopods end game, since you can hit them with a disabling shot, followed up by a near 100% critical headshot( Scope required ) Equipment and Upgrades Armor Skeleton Suit and Archangel Armor Consider equipping the Sniper with Skeleton Suit as soon as it is available. This is more useful for the stationary sniper, of course. The Grapple can be used twice per turn, and will allow your sniper to get to higher ground instantly. It depends on the type of the map, though, how useful this can be - on shot-down/landed UFO missions, there are usually no buildings or elevated ground. On Terror Missions and abductions, however, this is extremely useful. After Archangel Armor is available, you can discard Skeleton Armor, though. Chitin Plating is a must for any sniper using Skeleton Suit or Archangel Armor since these suits of armor offer less protection, high ground does not typically offer cover, most of the enemies will be able to see you as well, and the stationary sniper will have to spend one turn positioning and so unable to kill aliens before they get a chance to attack. Ghost Armor Ghost armor might be the best armor for stationary snipers. When exploring the map or creep/crawling, stationary snipers are very unwieldy and are often out of position when an ambush occurs. However, when using ghost armor, the stationary sniper can find the enemy then reposition in the best possible location to fire an opening salvo using double tap or flanking fire on the next turn when they cloak. Ghost armor also comes with a grapple, allowing the sniper to take advantage of higher ground and remain with impunity thanks to the ability to cloak. It, however, becomes infinitely more valuable on fully indoor maps with numerous obstacles: a Squadsight sniper would almost always waste a turn repositioning upon entering the next room. However, with invisibility, they won't be fired upon during that turn, and can potentially set up an In The Zone spree. Equipment S.C.O.P.E. is extremely useful for low-rank Snipers, ensuring their shots hit, and that they score enough kills to advance in rank. Stationary snipers, however, have next to no use for anything but S.C.O.P.E, since they will stay far away from the fight. With Tactical Rigging researched, a Stationary Sniper can make use of bringing a Medikit to allow for patching up wounded squadmates when regrouping. A Ghost Grenade can allow easy escape for a sniper ambushed by a Floater or enemy reinforcements. In XCOM: Enemy Within, Snipers may choose to take a Respirator Implant to provide immunity to Seeker strangulation, as a lone sniper far from the team tends to be under the most threat from these units (Although in some cases, the Sniper is so far away the Seekers cannot even see them, and instead target other squad members). Chitin Plating can be helpful for adding extra protection, since Ghost/Skeleton/Archangel armor all have less defense. Gene Mods In the XCOM: Enemy Within expansion, Gene Mods can confer further bonuses to snipers, especially when it comes to getting to and utilizing high ground. The eye mod Depth Perception gives additional +5 Aim and +5 Crit Chance bonuses for height advantage, aiding Squadsight snipers in camping and Snap Shot snipers in flanking. The leg mod Muscle Fiber Density helps snipers leap to heights normally requiring a ladder, drain pipe or grapple, minimizing the time snipers need to get to high ground. More importantly, this mod largely substitutes the uses of the Skeleton Suit and Archangel Armors, allowing the sniper access to more armor options. A Squadsight sniper with both Depth Perception and Muscle Fiber Density, paired with Ghost Armor, becomes highly adaptive to any terrain and situation, having both the mobility and stealth attributes of the previously mutually exclusive armor builds. It's also worth noting that Mimetic Skin is a very powerful gene mod for Snipers and is good synergy with Low Profile, since Mimetic Skin requires access to full cover, and Low Profile lets Snipers treat partial cover as full (allowing the Sniper to make use of partial cover for Mimetic Skin). Access to a cloaking ability--either a Ghost Grenade, Ghost Armor, or Mimetic Skin--is very useful for a Sniper end-game because making an attack while cloaked gives you bonus crit chance which increases your single-target damage potential and can stack with Headshot to confer a high crit chance even to things that normally are very difficult to crit, such as Sectopods. Bear in mind also, that Battle Scanner is less useful if you have anyone else in the squad with Mimetic Skin. They can move far upfield and provide targeting data to your Squadsight Snipers indefinitely without danger so long as they do not move. (Try to keep them out of the rough path of the Sniper's fire, however, as the Sniper can occasionally strike cover objects along the rough line of its fire, and destroying the cover a Mimetic Skin squadmate is using to stay cloaked will immediately decloak them.) Multiplayer Sniper Classes The following is a detailed break-down of the Sniper class stats and abilities in multiplayer mode. Note: Each soldier class has a base cost of 800 points, which would need to be added to the values above to determine the point value of a particular build. The above point and stat values reflect the default (i.e. 0 point) equipment load-out. Bugs * Snap Shot and Double Tap - If a Sniper acquires both of these abilities, then the second shot from Double Tap will be affected by Snap Shot which reduces the accuracy by 20% (10% penalty on XCOM: Enemy Within). * Overwatch - After moving, a Sniper can only Overwatch with a pistol (except with Snap Shot). After selecting Overwatch, the Sniper may switch back to a sniper rifle and reaction fire animation will be performed with the rifle, despite the fact that Overwatch with a rifle is not possible. This requires at least one of your other soldiers to have an unused action. (Tested on XCOM: Enemy Within single player) ** It is likely that this is a specific case of a more general graphics bug in XCOM: Enemy Within, as it has been observed to occur without switching back to the sniper rifle, as well as in both the Support and Assault class. Category:Soldier Classes